演讲稿原文
Hello.
My fellow Americans, and the people who brought me to dance: Delawareans.
I see my buddy Tom, Senator Tom Carper, down there. And I think, I think Senator Coons is there. And I think the governor’s around and…Is that Ruth Ann? And that’s former Governor Ruth Ann Minner. Most importantly, my sisters-in-law, my sister, Valerie. Anyway.
Folks, the people of this nation have spoken.
They’ve delivered us a clear victory.
A convincing victory.
A victory for “We the People.”
We’ve won with the most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of this nation – 74 million.
Well, I must admit it surprised me tonight. We’re seeing, all over this nation, all cities and all parts of the country, indeed across the world, an outpouring of joy, of hope, renewed faith in tomorrow [to] bring a better day.
And I’m humbled by the trust and confidence you’ve placed in me.
I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide, but unify.
Who…who doesn’t see Red states and Blue states, only sees the United States.
And who’ll work with all my heart, with the confidence of the whole people, to win the confidence of all of you.
And for that is what America, I believe, is about. It’s about people.
And that’s what our administration will be all about.
I sought this office to restore the soul of America.
To rebuild the backbone of this nation – the middle class.
And to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.
It’s the honor of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for that vision.
And now the work of making that vision is real. It’s a task, the task of our time.
Folks, as I said many times before, I’m Jill’s husband.
And I would not be here without her love and tireless support of Jill, and my son Hunter, and Ashley, my daughter, and all our grandchildren and their spouses, and all our family.
They’re my heart.
Jill is a mom – a military mom – an educator.
She’s dedicated her life to education, but teaching isn’t just what she does – it’s who she is.
For American educators, this is a great day for you all: You’re going to have one of your own in the White House, and Jill is going to make a great First Lady. I’m so proud of her.
I’ll have the honor of serving with a fantastic vice president who you just heard from, Kamala Harris – who makes history as first woman, first Black woman, the first woman from South Asian descent, the first daughter of immigrants ever elected in this country. Don’t tell me it’s not possible in the United States.
It’s long overdue, and we’re reminded tonight of those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen. But once again, America’s bent the arc of the moral universe more towards justice.
Kamala, Doug – like it or not – you’re family. You’ve become an honorary Biden, and there’s no way out.
To all those of you who volunteered, and worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local elected officials – you deserve a special thanks from the entire nation.
And to my campaign team, and all the volunteers, and all who gave so much of themselves to make this moment possible, I owe you, I owe you. I owe you everything.
And to all those who supported us: I’m proud of the campaign we built and ran. I’m proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse coalition in history.
- Democrats, Republicans, Independents.
- Progressives, moderates, conservatives.
- Young and old.
- Urban, suburban, rural.
- Gay, straight, transgender.
- White. Latino. Asian. Native American.
I mean it. Especially for those moments…and especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest ebb – the African American community stood up again for me. You’ve always had my back, and I’ll have yours.
I said at the outset I wanted to represent this campaign to represent and look like America, we’ve done that. Now that’s what I want the administration to look like and act like.
For all those of you who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointment tonight.
I’ve lost a couple of times myself.
But now, let’s give each other a chance.
It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again.
And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies.
They are not our enemies. They are Americans. They’re Americans.
The Bible tells us to everything there is a season – a time to build, a time to reap, and a time to sow. And a time to heal.
This is the time to heal in America.
Now this campaign is over – what is the will of the people? What is our mandate?
I believe it’s this: America has called upon us to marshal the forces of decency, the forces of fairness. To marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time.
- The battle to control the virus.
- The battle to build prosperity.
- The battle to secure your family’s health care.
- The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country.
- And the battle to save our planet by getting climate under control.
- The battle to restore decency, defend democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot.
That’s all [that] they’re asking for: a fair shot.
Folks, our work begins with getting COVID under control.
We cannot repair the economy, restore our vitality, or relish life’s most precious moments – hugging our grandchildren, our children, our birthdays, weddings, graduations, all the moments that matter most to us – until we get it under control.
On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as Transition Advisors to help take the Biden-Harris COVID plan and convert it into an action blueprint that will start on January the 20th, 2021.
That plan will be built on bedrock science. It will be constructed out of compassion, empathy and concern.
I’ll spare no effort, none – or any commitment – to turn around this pandemic.
Folks, I’m a proud Democrat. But I will govern as an American president. I’ll work as hard for those who didn’t vote for me – as those who did.
Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end – here and now.
Refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another – it’s not some mysterious force beyond our control.
It’s a decision, a choice we make.
And if we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. And I believe that this is part of the mandate given to us from the American people. They want us to cooperate in their interest.
And that’s the choice I’ll make. And I’ll call on Congress – Democrats and Republicans alike – to make that choice with me.
The American story is about slow, yet steadily widening the opportunities in America.
And make no mistake: Too many dreams have been deferred for too long.
We must make the promises of the country real for everybody – no matter their race, their ethnicity, their faith, their identity, or their disability.
Folks, America has always been shaped by inflection points – by moments in time where we’ve made hard decisions about who we are and what we want to be.
- Lincoln in 1860 – coming to save the Union.
- FDR in 1932 – promising a beleaguered country a New Deal.
- JFK in 1960 – pledging a New Frontier.
- And twelve years ago – when Barack Obama made history – and told us, “Yes, we can.”
Well, folks, we stand at an inflection point.
We have an opportunity to defeat despair, to build a nation of prosperity and purpose.
We can do it. I know we can.
I’ve long talked about the battle for the soul of America.
We must restore the soul of America.
Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses. And what presidents say in this battle matters.
It’s time for our better angels to prevail.
Tonight, the whole world is watching America. And I believe at our best, America is a beacon for the globe.
We will lead not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.
I’ve always believed – many of you heard me say it – I’ve always believed we can define America in one word: Possibilities.
That in America, everyone should be given an opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.
You see, I believe in the possibilities of this country.
We’re always looking ahead:
- Ahead to an America that is freer and more just.
- Ahead to an America that creates jobs with dignity and respect.
- Ahead to an America that cures diseases – like cancers and Alzheimer’s.
- Ahead to an America that never leaves anyone behind.
- Ahead to an America that never gives up, never gives in.
This is a great nation. It’s always been a bad bet to bet against America.
We’re good people.
This is the United States of America.
And there’s never been anything…never been anything we’ve been not able to do when we’ve done it together.
Folks, in the last days of the campaign, I’ve begun thinking about a hymn that means a lot to me and my family, particularly my deceased son Beau. It captures the faith that sustains me and which I believe sustains America.
And I hope – and I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the 230,000 Americans who’ve lost a loved one to this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Hopefully, this hymn gives you solace as well. And it goes like this:
And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
And make you just shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.”
And now, together – on eagle’s wings – we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do.
With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with a love of country, a thirst for justice, let us be the nation that we know we can be.
- A nation united.
- A nation strengthened.
- A nation healed.
The United States of America.
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s never, never been anything we’ve tried we’ve not been able to do.
So remember: as my grandpa…our grandpappy said when I walked out of his home, when I was a kid up in Scranton, [he] said: “Joey, keep the faith.”
And our grandmother, when she was alive, she yelled: “No, Joey, spread it.”
Spread the faith.
God love you all. May God bless America, and may God protect our troops.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
词汇理解
单词/词组 释义 fellow n. 人;家伙;同伴;同志；a. 同伴的;同阶级的 folks n. 人们, 父母, 亲人, 家属 deliver vt. 交付,递送;表达,发表;使分娩;投;击打;解放 outpouring n. 注出;流出(物);流露,倾诉(of) humble a. 卑微的；vt. 使变卑微 restore vt. 归还;重建;使痊愈;复职 backbone n. 脊椎;分水岭;中枢;主力;志气,骨气,毅力;(山)主脉,主脊 spouse n. 夫;妻;配偶 decent a. 不差的;正当的;宽大的；[俗] (服装)合身份的 honorary a. 道义上的；名誉的；有荣誉的；光荣的 coalition n. 结合；(政治)联盟 diverse a. 不同的；种种的；互异的；多种的,多样的 democrat n. 民主主义者，民主党人 urban adj. 城市的,都城的，城镇的 suburban a. 郊区的,市郊的；郊外的；市郊特有的 rural adj. 农村的 ebb n. 退潮,落潮；v. 退，落，衰退，减退 rhetoric n. 修辞学(书籍)；修辞法；华丽的文体；花言巧语；夸张 opponent n. 竞争者，对手，反对者 reap v. 取得成果，收获，收割（庄稼） mandate n. （政府或组织等经选举而获得的）授权；v. 授权 decency n. 端庄；礼貌；正派；正当行为；能被社会认同的必要条件 prosperity n. 兴旺，繁荣，成功，昌盛 racial adj. 种族的，种族间的，人种的 vitality n. 活力;持久性;生动;耐力 grim a. 严厉的;狰狞的 defer v. 延期;顺从;展期;服从;拖延,迁延,迟缓 ethnicity n. 种族地位，种族渊源，种族划分 impulse n. 冲动(可数加 s); 突如其来的念头; 推动; 冲量 prevail vi. 流行;说服;盛行;成功;获胜 dignity n. 高尚;尊严;威严;高尚的品德 heal vt. 恢复健康;治疗;使和解；vi. 愈合;恢复健康 systemic racism 系统性种族主义 put away 把…收起，收好，把…关进监狱，把…送进精神病医院 place in 放入 pledge to 保证 root out 根除 bring to 使（某人）苏醒;使达到 call upon us 召唤 作文素材
1. We're seeing, all over this nation, all cities and all parts of the country, indeed across the world, an outpouring of joy, of hope, renewed faith in tomorrow [to] bring a better day.
我们看到，在全国各地、所有城市、全国各地，甚至在全世界，人们都迸发出欢乐、希望和对明天带来更美好日子的新信心。
独立主格结构，让结构短促有力，增强的可读性，让读者或听着，更加容易接受笔者的观点
2. She was dedicated her life to education.
她一生致力于教育事业
be dedicated … to (doing)…致力于，加分词，可多加积累，如：be committed … to (doing)…,bend/devote/apply oneself to , hammer at
3. It captures the faith that sustains me and which I believe sustains America.
它抓住了支撑着我的信念，我相信正是这种信念支撑着美国。
that 和 which 分别作为关系代词指代 me 的宾语和 American 的宾语，但是因为语意分别用 that 和 which
4. Its long overdue, and were reminded tonight of those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen.
这是姗姗来迟的，今晚让我们想起那些为实现这一目标而努力多年的人们。
who 作后置定语，修饰 those，这样的定语可以用于作文中，为文章添彩，但也不宜重复用，可以尝试用 who/whose/which 等一系列的定语润色文章
5. With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with a love of country, a thirst for justice, let us be the nation that we know we can be. A nation united. A nation strengthened. A nation healed.
全心全意，用坚定的双手，对美国和对彼此的信念，对国家的爱，对正义的渴望，让我们成为一个我们知道我们可以成为的国家。一个统一的国家、一个更强的国家、一个治愈的国家。
with 的状语，后面句式整齐，增强了文章的气势和情感，可用于结尾，附带总结性的句式增强文章的冲击力。
justice、possibility、fair 文中提到的三个中心词，尤为突出了美国民主的三个要素，公正，可能性，平等，详见后文的文化背景补充。
党政文化
了解美国大选背后的文化背景，有助于理解阅读文章。
所以我们梳理了一些考研相关的资料，希望有用。
一、美国政治制度
美国实行分权与制衡的原则，立法、行政、司法三种权力分别由国会、总统、法院掌管，三个部门行使权力时，彼此互相牵制，以达到权力平衡。
行政---Administration/the White House（美国总统）
立法---Congress（人民）
司法---Supreme Court（9 个大法官 justice，包括 1 个首席大法官和 8 个大法官、大法官终身制）、联邦最高法院有权裁定联邦和各州的任何法律违宪而不被采用。
权力制衡
三权分立并不是绝对的；其以权力制衡的原则来实行。行政官员与法官的薪金由国会所决定，但国会不能增加或减少总统的薪金，或减少法官在其任期内的薪金。
议院拥有弹劾行政官员与法官的权力；参议院则负责覆核所有的弹劾提议。值得注意的是参议员与众议员并不当为文官：其并不可作为弹劾的对象（若参众两院的议员有三分二或以上要求某议员退任，则没问题）在众议院只要有过半数支持便可通过弹劾议案，但此议案要经由参议院再作议决，并要获得三分二支持方可生效。若官员被定罪，则会自动离任。在弹劾过程里除移除其职位或阻止其转职外，并没有其他惩罚，但其所犯罪行则会在弹劾后作出审讯并处罚。
国会与总统亦可影响司法部门的组成。国会可以成立次级法院并拥有独立司法权。此外，国会负责限制法院组成人员的数量。法官则由总统在聆听国会建议并获得其认同后指派。参众两院或任何一院皆有可能会被总统命令召开紧急会议。而副总统是参议院的主席。总统可以在听取参议院的建议与取得其认同后任命法官。其亦可颁布特赦或缓刑令。其特赦令不用经过国会审核，亦不用得到被授予者同意。
美国总统亦是美国陆，海，空三军的总司令。法院：法院通由司法审查权来控制行政部门与立法部门。这个慨念并没有写进宪法里，但却是众多宪法草拟者的设想（如联邦主义议文集也曾提及）。美国最高法院院长在总统被弹劾期间会在参议院里任议会主席。然而参议院的规则并没有给予议会主席很多权力，所以最高法院院长在这里的角色只是较为无足轻重的。总统：美国总统可以通由行使议案否决权来控制国会，但参众两院若各有三分二的票数反对该否决，则这议案否决权便没效。
2013-4 考研英语阅读题目
\37. On which of the following did the Justices agree, according to Paragraph4?
[A] Federal officers’ duty to withhold immigrants’ information.
[B] States’ independence from federal immigration law.
[C] States’ legitimate role in immigration enforcement.
[D] Congress’s intervention in immigration enforcement.
需要了解题目里涉及到的 Federal，State，Congress 等名词。
二、美国司法陪审制度
美国的法律制度和我国不同，我国遵从大陆法，是有明确的法律条文的。判案是需要依据已有的法律法规的。这就要求法律条文详细，周全。英美法，是惯例法，主要依靠前人积累的经验，对今天的案件做出判决。它很鲜明的特点在于，没有明确法律条文，它靠的是人的判断。而法律共同体拥有对法律的解释权。
考研英语一阅读 2012 年第二篇文章和考研英语二 2010 年第四篇文章都涉及美国的这种司法制度。以 2012 年英语一为例，这篇文章涉及州和联邦法律的权限问题。
\29. In the author’s view, the Vermont case will test
[A] Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promises.
[B] the mature of states’ patchwork regulations.
[C] the federal authority over nuclear issues .
[D] the limits of states’ power over nuclear issues
如果了解这一文化常识，就能掌握整片文章的主旨大意。
三、美国党派
传统来说，左派通常主张积极改革，主张把旧的意识形态和制度革除，从而建立新的意识形态和制度，反对派一般自认为左派；右派一般较为保守，主张稳妥、秩序、渐进、缓慢的改革方式，强调维护旧有传统，保皇党一般自认为右派。
左派与右派都是相对而言，在不同背景下两者主张的具体内容不会相同，不能以静态的“主义”或“阶级”划分。两词是相当广泛的形容用词，用以作为一种广泛的辩证法解释方式，可以用作形容或区分一种政治立场、一种政治意识形态、或是一个政治党派。除非是将其套用至多维的政治光谱上，否则这两词通常是用以描述两种完全相对的立场。例如在堕胎（The abortion）这一事件上，民主党同意，共和党不同意。在控枪（Gun control）这一事件上，民主党支持控制枪支的使用，而共和党不支持。
四、美国的第一份政治性契约——五月花号公约
五月花号公约（THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT）：1620 年 11 月 11 日，经过在海上六十六天的漂泊之后，一艘来自英国的名为“五月花”的英国 3 桅盖伦大帆船向美洲陆地靠近。船上有一百零二名乘客。他们的目的地本是哈德逊河口地区，但由于海上风浪险恶，他们错过了目标，于是就在现在的科德角外普罗温斯顿港抛锚。
为了建立一个大家都能受到约束的自治基础，他们在上岸之前签订了一份公约，这份公约被称为《“五月花号”公约》，签署人立誓创立一个自治团体，这个团体是基于被管理者的同意而成立的，而且将依法而治。 这是美国历史上第一份重要的政治文献。
此公约对美国的影响贯穿了从签订之始到如今，它是美国建国的奠基，也是现在美国信仰自由、法律等的根本原因。
《五月花号公约》是美国历史上第一份政治性契约。这份写在粗糙羊皮纸上的《五月花号公约》作为美国历史上的第一个政治契约性文件，内容虽然很简单，却在美国政治思想史上占有重要地位，因为他预示了民主政治的许多理念：人民可以通过自己的公意决定集体行动，以自治的方式，管理自己的生活；行使统治必须经过民众的同意；人民可以通过公议的契约建立秩序，而不是由人民之上的权威予以强加。它标志着“政府需经被统治者的同意方可实行统治”这一原则得到认同并得以实施。
五、美国联邦最高法院
美国是联邦制国家，除了联邦政府拥有司法、立法、行政三权分立之机制外，州亦拥有独立于联邦而产生的司法、立法、行政机构。
宪法没有授权联邦政府亦没有禁止州和其人民行使的权利，由各州及其人民所保留。美国的州政府形象地说是一个“小国”。联邦法院与州法院同时存在且互不隶属。
州有对非联邦案件的终审权。但当涉及到《美利坚合众国宪法》的诉讼时，当事人有权将案件一直上诉至联邦最高法院。
美国联邦最高法院对各种提交的案件，一般由 9 位大法官以简单多数票的表决方法来决定。1882 年开始发行的官方汇编的《美国联邦最高法院判例汇编》，其中的判例对法庭有约束力，为审理同案件的依据。
美国宪法没有直接提到美国联邦最高法院是否有司法审查权。但是美国联邦最高法院曾经通过的马伯里诉麦迪逊案的判决指出，美国联邦最高法院有权宣布某个法律违宪而不被采用。
美国联邦最高法院并不是由人民选出的，而是由参议院同意后，总统方可任命，即：任命制。
六、一些术语（双语）
联邦制（federal system）
联邦政府（federal government）
白宫（White House）
州政府（state government）
宪法（Constitution）
宪法修正案（Amendment）
①The First Amendment 言论自由修正案
②The Second Amendment 枪支控枪自由
③Forth Amendment 隐私保护法案
民主党 Democratic Party，又被称为左派政党 The left，或者自由党 The Liberal
共和党 Republican Party，又被称为右派政党 The Right，或者保守党 The Conservative。
联邦调查局（FBI）
联邦调查局 Federal Bureau of Investigation，司法部的调查机关。
中央情报局（CIA）
中央情报局 Central Intelligence Agency，美国最大的情报机构。
行政权 Executive power，分为两个层级：
联邦政府 The Federal government
州政府 The state government，归于两部分：
立法权 Legislative power
国会 The Congress
州议会 The state congress
国会包含众议院和参议院——
众议院：The House of Representatives，简称 The House
参议院：The Senate House，简称 The Senate
司法权 Judicial power
最高法院（The Federal Supreme Court）：
法官（justices）
参考资料
拜登获胜演讲稿
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